Hans Irvine Ebeling, MBE, who died on January 12, 1980, aged 75, was a member of the 1934 Australian side in England and was later prominent in administration. It was he who conceived the idea of the 1977 Centenary Test and who, by his persistence, got it carried out. Though he had a long career for Victoria and captained them when they won the Sheffield Shield twice in four years, he lost four seasons to the claims of work in early days: otherwise he might have gone further than he did. No less a judge than Jack Hobbs thought highly of his bowling and was surprised that he was ever omitted from a representative side. A tall man, he bowled medium-pace with a sharp in-swing, but he could also make the ball run away. Moreover, he was useful attacking bat and a particularly good driver and hooker. He owed his selection in 1934 largely to a good performance against Jardine's side in 1933, when his three wickets, which included those of Sutcliffe and Wyatt, combined with an innings of 68 not out, had much to do with Victoria tying the match. In England he was a distinct success: in a side which relied heavily on spin he took 62 wickets with an average of 20.80, and in the final Test at The Oval, the sole Test appearance of his career, took three wickets, including Hammond, and in an admirable second innings of 41 put on 56 in forty minutes with O'Reilly for the last wicket. At the time of his death he was President of the Melbourne Cricket Club.
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack

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